MAY 14–20, 2026
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COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Firefighters responding to hotel fire attacked by man wielding machete
Comfort Suites on Monday, May 11, 2026 as clean up crews continue to work to restore the hotel after a fire was reported. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
By Delayna Earley and Mike McCombs The Island News City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal firefighters were attacked by a man with a machete Monday morning, May 11, as they responded to a fire alarm at a local hotel. Just after 8 a.m., Engine Company 4 of the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department was responding to a fire alarm call at the Comfort Suites at 131 Big John Road. According to Deputy Chief Ross Vezin, while responding, the inci-
dent was upgraded to a structure fire based on information from Beaufort County Dispatch and a sprinkler activation. As firefighters arrived on scene and entered the hotel room where the fire was located, they were “confronted and attacked by a man armed with a machete.” “Our crews remained safe and handled an extremely difficult and dangerous situation professionally and appropriately,” The Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department said in a social media post.
According to the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department, the firefighters involved in the incident were evaluated on scene by Beaufort County EMS and cleared for duty. Vezin said the fire was small, and the sprinkler system put it out. At this time, it is unclear how the assailant was detained. “I can’t speak about that,” said Vezin when asked how the man was subdued. Vezin did confirm
SEE HOTEL PAGE A2
LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN
LOLITA HUCKABY
County Council balancing primaries, budget numbers, sales tax referendum
B
BEAUFORT eaufort County Council was scheduled this week to get a look at their transportation advisory committee’s recommendations for a sales tax question to put on the November ballot. They don’t have a lot of time to consider their options. The schedule Council approved in January when they established the 15-member advisory committee set final reading to the ballot referendum ordinance in July, giving supporters of the traffic improvement sales tax four months to campaign for its passage. Pretty impressive schedule when you consider five of the 11 Council members are facing re-election campaigns, although one of those five — David Bartholomew of District 2 — has no opposition in the primary or in the November election. Three of the Council veterans — Alice Howard, District 4; Joseph Passiment, District 5; and Larry McElynn, District 10 — are not seeking re-election so, theoretically, they’ll have time to focus on that sales tax campaign. But wait a minute, the Council is also working on a multi-million FY 2027 budget package which has already sparked some friction in the early discussions. They cut the county Human Services Department, handing
SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A4
An aerial view of St. Helenaville and Pine Island. Photo courtesy of Miles Sanders
Lawsuit challenges Pine Island CPO Developers argue St. Helena protections amount to race-based zoning
By Delayna Earley The Island News The legal battle over Pine Island and the future of development on St. Helena Island is once again headed to federal court, with developers now directly accusing Beau-
fort County of enforcing what they describe as a racially discriminatory zoning ordinance. Filed April 20 in U.S. District Court, the amended complaint by Pine Island Property Holdings, LLC and Pine Island GC, LLC ar-
gues Beaufort County’s Cultural Protection Overlay, or CPO, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and unlawfully restricts development based
SEE LAWSUIT PAGE A8
Waterfront committee backs rebuilding existing platform
Scallate explores TIF funding option for waterfront project
building Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park’s failed relieving platform largely in its current form, while acknowledging major questions still remain about how By Delayna Earley the multi-million-dollar project The Island News will ultimately be funded. Members of Beaufort’s WaterThe relieving platform is the front Advisory Committee voiced structural foundation beneath support Monday, May 4 for re- much of the waterfront prome-
nade and public park space along the Beaufort River. During the meeting, engineers with McSweeney Engineers presented the results of recent public feedback gathered during the city’s waterfront design concepts meeting. According to the presentation, the overwhelming preference
among attendees favored “Option 2,” which would rebuild the existing relieving platform while elevating it to better address flooding concerns. Project engineer Bill Barna with McSweeney Engineers told the committee the public re-
SEE REBUILD PAGE A6
NEWS
ARTS
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INSIDE
Sheriff candidate forum canceled after Seifert withdraws.
A whimsical, magical musical of Seussical proportions.
Beaufort DAV Chapter 12 again named state’s best.
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